


Two Kisses for every Second

by Darknecessary



Category: Dust: An Elysian Tail
Genre: Angst, Comfort, Love, M/M, Tenderness, Waiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-24
Packaged: 2020-07-19 02:48:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19966792
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darknecessary/pseuds/Darknecessary
Summary: That hurt.Dust watched the lost boy in front of him and everything inside of him refused to leave.He did not want to leave. He did not want to go to war. He wanted to stay here and repair that soul.He wanted to heal Reed.He wanted to love Reed.





	Two Kisses for every Second

"But," Reed hesitated. "The trees.  
It was strange. Dust really had no time for such foolery. He urgently needed to move on, but there was something about this boy. Something that held Dust tight. He sighed softly.  
  
"Look, Reed. I got your box. I solved the problem of your box wanting to kill me.  
Now everything is fine again." He tried to calm the paranoid boy.  
He couldn't do nothing about it. Reed somehow grew important to him.   
  
\- - - - -  
  
They hadn't had much contact. Reed had annoyed him with his babbling about his stupid box when Dust first met him. It had not been possible to talk to the lime green fox-wolfling.  
Until Dust had found it deep in the underground.   
It had not been easy to get there, and Dust had only cared about it, when he was around for other quests.   
Even then it had not been an easy task!  
He had to craft a Fidget-doll to trade for the stupid box.   
He couldn't have suspected Fidget would open the box.   
When Reed had told Dust he would have to die, Dust panicked. He had been overwhelmed. He had felt his being slowly draining.  
Reed had tried to explain what Dust needed to do, but Dust barely heard him. Fidget was trying to talk herself out. Reed mumbled in panic. The sound of his own heartbeat rang loud in his ears. Reed had pushed the box in Dust's arms.   
"You have to die," he had said. His eyes had been dead serious.   
This had not been crazy jabbering.  
  
"I can not leave him alone."  
Dust had not been able to find another thought.  
And that thought, unreal as it seemed to be, had made him realize that he really needed to die.  
Reed's instructions had worked. He had died and that had brought him back to life.   
And in that exact moment Reed's words had sunken in Dust's brain.  
"You mustn't take too long. Or you could end up,” Reed had said,” like me."  
Reed had opened the box.   
And that demon inside it had consumed Reed's soul. Teared into his mind. Feasted on his existence.  
  
\- - - - -   
  
That hurt.  
Dust watched the lost boy in front of him and everything inside of him refused to leave.   
He did not want to leave. He did not want to go to war. He wanted to stay here and repair that soul.   
He wanted to heal Reed.   
He wanted to love Reed.   
  
\- - - - -  
  
"But the sun says-" Reed began.  
  
"Noooo Reeeeed," Dust pinched the bridge of his nose.   
"Sun in wrong," he added gently and quietly. "The toothbrushes can not hurt you.   
The trees can not hurt you," he assured the little one with the box.  
  
Reed lifted his head and met Dust's gaze.   
"You don't know that! Do you hear them whisper? Do you not hear what they are saying? What they all say? The box is quiet! But the sun and the trees and the clouds and-"  
The lean figure seemed so desperate. He was shaking all over and his eyes darted restlessly around.   
His ears twitched again and again and his tail swayed nervously back and forth, or stuck between his legs.  
Uncertain, Reed worried his hands, licking his nose and chaps .  
  
"What if they say I should do something? Something that will do great harm? If-"  
  
Dust grabbed Reed's shoulders. He looked him in the eyes.   
"If that happens, Reed, then you do not do it. You don't have to do anything you do not want to do, just because someone tells you to do it." Dust looked the confused boy deep in his eyes.   
"If the trees tell you to do something, then you come to me. If the sun tells you to do something, then you come to me. If the box whispers to you, you come to me," Dust said.   
"And then I'll help you," he promised.   
  
Dust pulled Reed to his chest and stroked his ears and the bushy tail.  
He gently licked the other's nose and chaps.  
He kissed him carefully.  
  
Reed's eyes widened. He blinked in complete confusion and grabbed Dust's pale ears.   
Then he clung to Dust's coat and dropped into his embrace.   
  
\- - - - -  
  
Reed bit his tongue. His ears twitched attentively and he watched Dust dressing up again in silence.  
Reed sat up and pulled the blanket around his bare shoulders. His tail began to wag lightly on the mattress as Dust turned to face him.  
Nervously, Reed licked his chaps and watched Dust standing in front of him.  
Dust kissed Reed's forehead, then lifted Reed's chin and kissed his nose and mouth.  
"I'll hurry," he promised. "I'll find the camp and then I'll kill Gaius. You will see. I'll be back  
before you notice I was gone."  
Dust hugged Reed for a moment and held him tight. Silently, Reed looked up to him and then closed his eyes relaxed.   
Dust let go and turned to go. Reed got up. The blanked slid from his shoulders to the ground.  
"How long will you be gone?" He asked.  
Dust stopped in the doorway.   


"Count the time. When I'm back... You will get a kiss for every second I've gone."  
"Three," Reed demanded.   
"Two?" Dust smiled.  
Reed nodded.   
Dust left.   
  
1\. 2. 3. 4. 5.  
  
Reed blinked and studied the wall thoughtfully.  
  
22\. 23. 24. 25. 26.   
  
Reed got dressed. He picked up his box and turned it in his hands for a moment.  
  
69\. 70. 71. 72. 73.   
  
Reed withdrew a loose plank and shoved the box into the hollow space below.  
  
180\. 181. 182. 183. 184. 

Reed was waiting for Dust. He had promised to wait. He would wait.   
  
1117\. 1118. 1119. 1120. 1121.   
  
Counting the seconds became exhausting. Reed started to count the minutes.   
  
145\. 146. 147. 148.   
  
Counting the minutes became exhausting. Reed started to count the hours.   
  
17\. 18. 19.   
  
Counting the hours became exhausting. Reed started to count the days.   
  
6\. 7.   
  
1.  
  
A week had passed when Ginger reached the village. She spoke quietly to the mayor. He nodded. There was a big party. The general was defeated. The Moonbloods were safe. Their village was safe.   
Reed was scared. He was terribly afraid. On the third day he dared to look for Ginger and ask her about Dust.   
  
Reed looked up to the sky. Ginger had said she had seen Dust. She had seen him fly out of the volcano and into the sky, but she also said she had seen him drown in the lava.   
Reed was confused. He just did not know anything, and it scared him. He hoped Dust would come back.  
Back to him! Dust had promised!  
  
Reed scratched Dust in the sand of the street. He could not wait anymore. He was so nervous.   
What if Dust had crashed somewhere? If he had lost his memory again? What if he did not find himself anymore?  
What if he did not find Reed anymore?  
Only one night.  
They had spent only one night. But since then the voices have been gone.   
Since then Reed was free.   
Since then he was happy.   
At least he would be able to be.   
With Dust.   
Reed scratched the ground angrily, blurring the picture.  
  
Exactly 3 Weeks.  
  
"Hey," said a voice behind him.

Reed raised his head.   
"I owe you... pretty many kisses, huh? Two for every second?"  
  
Reed jumped forward and hugged Dust.  
  
3680799.  
  
They fell to the ground.   
  
3680798.  
  
Dust laughed.   
  
3680797.  
  
Reed was sure.  
  
3680796.  
  
He never wanted to let go again.  
  
3680795.  
  
3680794.  
  
3680793.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Reed so much *--- *' 
> 
> Please tell me if you have any critique. I am trying to become a better writer!  
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
